Get Involved

Science alone cannot restore our biodiversity, and defend our natural environments and production systems against threats such as pests, weeds, pathogens and climate change. That’s where we need your help. Already thousands of heroic New Zealanders are spontaneously forming and joining groups to plant areas of land, restore wetlands, trap pests, and monitor bird populations and unwanted weeds. It’s inspiring. But the size of the task can seem overwhelming.

Recently, the government made a major commitment to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050, with $28M funding to be matched 1:2 by private and community funding. Some of the new money will supplement our research, with the information made available to scientists to learn all we can from successes and failures along the way. Scientists – and you, the citizen scientists – are working on technological, social and strategic solutions to overcome the pest problem.

And in May this year, the government also announced a $100M (over ten years) Freshwater Improvement Fund on a similar basis – that is giving priority to applications that have matching private/philanthropic funding. This will be a spur to communities concerned about the quality of their waterways.

The Challenge will play its part in supporting the government’s Biosecurity 2025 strategy. With ever greater numbers of incoming tourists and returning New Zealanders, there is increasing pressure on our biosecurity defence systems. Conversely, new technologies provide better ways of detecting and eradicating unwanted invaders. But again, we need the public’s awareness, vigilance, and practical help to protect our economy and our native biodiversity from these threats.